Angel's Grace
by Angel Trainee Flonne
Summary: The sequel to Forsaken! It's been a thousand years, and Flonne still hasn't let go of hope. Read about what happens to her as the days to Laharl's return slowly count down...
1. Nightmares

Kaori: And now what you've all been waiting for! Drum roll, please!

(*drum rolls across the room*)

Kaori: Not that kind of drum roll!

Guy: (*drum roll*)

Kaori: Presenting the sequel to Forsaken: Angel's Grace!

Matthew: Enjoy the fic!

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^^*~Flonne's POV~*^^

"Flonne."

"Hey, Love Freak!"

That voice! It could only belong to one person….

"C'mon, Love Freak! I'm over here!"

I felt my heart racing as I ran to the direction of the voice. Although everything was dark around me, I pressed on. Nothing would stop me this time, not this time…

"Flonne… c'mon! What's taking you so long? Hurry up…"

The more I heard his voice, the faster I ran, and the faster my heartbeat became.

"Please… don't leave me this time…" I silently begged. "Don't leave me again…"

But as I ran for awhile, I noticed that the path was slowly changing. Again, I was seeing the scene that haunted me every night. It was that same dark, dreary field, broken by a single cross, with Master Lamington's bloody body below it. I could feel tears well up in my eyes as I yelled, "Master Lamington!" I was about to run to him when I heard a weak voice calling my name.

"Flonne…"

The voice of the one I fell in love with; Laharl's voice. 

I turned to look for him, soon finding him nearby, leaned up against a rock. "Laharl!"

He was in terrible shape, his whole body covered in scrapes and bruises, blood dripping from the open cuts. When I came to him, his mouth was open as if he was trying to tell me something.

"Flonne… I… I…"

"No, don't waste your energy speaking! I'll help you…"

"No, there isn't any time. I just have to tell you how much I…."

He stopped at those words, his blood-red eyes closing as he fell silent.

"Laharl?!"

I shook him over and over again, trying to awaken him.

"Laharl! Laharl!"

I burst into tears as I leaned on his chest. "Please don't go… I love you…"

The last thing I heard was maniacal laughing ringing in my ears.

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^^*~Normal POV~*^^

It was early in the morning, 5:00 AM. The alarm clock in Etna's room was ringing, the alarm being a song that had the 'you're-gonna-die-in-10-seconds-so-say-your-prayers' ring to it. Annoyed, Etna smashed her hand hard on the off button, and slowly crawled out of bed, taking as much time as possible.

Etna was the Overlord of the Netherworld now, and it had been thousands of years ago when she had been crowned. Now, she was finally an adult in demon's years, and to her happiness, she didn't stay flat-chested. She was considered one of the sexiest demons of all time, just as she had imagined herself to be.

"If the Prince was here, he would freak out at how sexy I am," She said with a smile. Of course, being one of the sexiest demons if all time had its disadvantages, because suitors came and asked for her hand in marriage on a daily basis. (Even her own _vassals _found themselves proposing.) It annoyed Etna so much that she saw to it personally that all suitors were eliminated. 

"I should go check on Flonne before I start my duties." Etna said when she managed to climb out. Before that, she brushed her hair and tied it up in two pigtails, her usual hairstyle, and put on her normal attire, definitely not wanting to be seen in her sleeping clothes. 

Etna tiptoed to Flonne's room, and saw that she was still sleeping. The smile disappeared from her face when she saw a few tears trickling from her eyes. "Flonne…" She said sadly, sighing. It had been about a thousand years or more, and Flonne still hadn't let go of hope for Laharl's return. 

Flonne had grown even more beautiful, and she too was no longer flat-chested. But she was continually plagued by nightmares, usually involving something bad happening to Laharl.

Etna sighed once more and gently shook the angel awake. "Huh?" What… Etna? Is that you?" Flonne asked in confusion. Etna chuckled. 

"Yes. Who else would it be? You had another bad dream about the Prince, right?" She nodded. "Yes." As she opened her mouth to tell Etna what happened, she put a finger to Flonne's lips. 

"You don't need to tell me, Flonne. I can't get it through your thick head that the Prince is gone, and that's about the only advice I have to give you. And I don't like hearing about these dreams, either. I worry about the Prince, too, Flonne, and I'm lucky that my dreams aren't as bad as yours." Etna removed her finger after saying those words, and Flonne nodded. 

"I'm sorry Etna." That was the first sentence to flow out of her mouth. "You should go and attend to your business. Again, I apologize for burdening you with my problems." Etna walked out the door and made a gesture that gave Flonne the message 'don't worry about it.' 

"Poor Flonne… I wish I could help, some how." Etna said quietly before she walked away, leaving to her throne duties and Flonne to her thoughts.

****************************************

Laharl slammed his fist on the giant table, causing it to turn over and several things to fly off the shelves. "You've made me wait long enough already! It's been a thousand years; look at how badly she needs me!" He was yelling. The woman who he was yelling at stared calmly into those blood-red eyes, which were burning with impatience and anger right now. 

"Listen, King Laharl. You should be grateful that we let you stay here in your own body, with the behavior you're causing. With most people, they stay here as souls while we create a new body to house them. But things like this are… complicated, and will take time."

Laharl became even more infuriated. "Like I said earlier! You've made me wait long enough! A thousand years is more time than you need!"

The woman shook her head. "You don't understand. We still need to weigh out the sins you committed in your lifetime, and…"

"I already atoned for them, didn't I?!" Laharl was yelling at the top of his lungs now, looking like he was about to charge the woman down any second. Nearby vassals had to hold him back from doing so.

As they pulled him away, the woman sighed. "He really does care about her… His devotion is admirable."

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Kaori: Ok, that's Chapter 1! And yes, 'Angel's Grace' is multi-chaptered!

Matthew & Guy: Stay tuned for Chapter 2!


	2. High Authority

Kaori: Gomen, minna! Gomem gomen gomen!!! My keyboard wasn't working so I had to get a new one! And I was grounded…

Matthew: See? What did I tell you about drinking and eating near the computer? And what else did I say about sneaking on at night?

Kaori: Oh shut up, Matthew.

Matthew: I'm right, aren't I?

Kaori: Yes, you're right….

Matthew:

Kaori: OK, Guy! You can say it now!

Guy: busy playing Soul Caliber 2

Kaori: Matthew, you say it.

Matthew: clears throat Presenting…..Chapter 2 of Angel's Grace!

(drum roll starts)

* * *

Footsteps echoed through the hallways as a certain blue-haired demon with blood red eyes stepped-or rather stomped-into the room.

Taking in his surroundings, he stared at the large, ethereal, dome-like room. The floor was tiled with marble, the walls were covered by windows, and the ceiling was completely white. The whole room was empty of any other items except for a lone desk and file cabinet. Laharl hated this room-it always made him feel like he was in some sort of void.

He leaned casually against one of the windows as he waited for the person he came here to see. And as soon as he did so, another set of footsteps were heard, and the woman he had tried to charge down earlier was already sitting at her desk once more, her pen scratching against papers.

"I'm bored." Laharl complained as leaned against one of the walls of the room, staring out into space.

"Ya know what?" said the woman he had tried to charge down earlier "Deal with it." She finished flatly, before the scratching of pen against paper continued. Laharl's scowl deepened, and he lowered his head to look at her but then he noticed the papers she was working on.

"Hey, what are those?" He asked curiously, sounding like an innocent child. (A/N: Yeah right; Laharl, innocent-that's a laugh)

The scratching stopped momentarily, then started once again. "It's your records. When I'm done fully evaluating them, you can go back to your own world."

"…And how much progress so far?" He asked with hope in his eyes.

"I'm barely half way through them." She replied.

Laharl slammed his fist on the wall he was leaning on, leaving a huge dent. "Dammit, woman, can't you go any faster than that?!"

The woman sighed. '_Not this again…' _She thought with exasperation.

"Listen. It's not my fault that your sin record is so high. I also have a name, and it's Sairi."

He continued to yell. "Like I said before-didn't I already atone for them?!"

"We let you off easy-the Elder pitied you, and decided that you could keep your own body and wait here while we sort everything out. Sins that you have not atoned for will be compensated for by the time you spend waiting here." The woman finished. "Really, King Laharl, we have been through this explanation more than enough."

Laharl glared at her before walking out of the room. '_Damn these dumb asses…' _He thought angrily. But his angry thoughts softened as his mind brought up a certain angel that occupied his mind most of the time, other than the situation he was in. '_Don't worry, Flonne. I'll get back to you… soon enough.'_

_

* * *

_

"Oh Flonne…" A masculine voice called in a sing-song voice. "Flonnie-poo!"

Flonne raised her head slightly from her pillow. '_Oh great, another suitor. What a wonderful way to start my day.' _She thought sarcastically.

Hearing footsteps approaching her room, she braced herself for a torrent of compliments and questions as the door opened… but they never came.

"Hey… Flonne? It's me, Etna. What's wrong?" Etna asked, staring at Flonne suspiciously.

Flonne briefly removed her arms which she had flung in front of her face to mumble "Suitor." Then she scurried away to hide under her bed.

Etna nodded in understanding, as another set of footsteps were heard, approaching the room. The door creaked open, and that same masculine voice from earlier was heard. "Flonnie-poo?"

Flonne cringed at the newly bestowed nickname. Another one of her major pet peeves-the stupid nicknames suitors gave her.

"Your Flonnie-poo is not here," Etna stated curtly, and even from under the bed she could tell that she was shoving the unwanted annoyance out.

"B-But…!" He protested, only to get a smack in the face. Flonne saw his head fall against the floor, and she couldn't help but notice the black eye Etna had given him…

She gave Etna a thumbs-up, but as soon as she did, yet another masculine voice was heard coming from the end of the hallway.

"Miss Flonne?"

Flonne sighed with relief. At least he didn't give her a dumb nickname.

Etna merely growled, checked outside the door, and upon seeing the delicate box and flowers in his hands immediately set out to attack.

A few hours later, after the suitor problem was resolved, Etna was hauling a suspicious looking sack outside of the castle. When she was questioned about what it was, Etna claimed that it was garbage. Flonne highly doubted that, but then again, what she and Etna saw as 'garbage' were two different things entirely…

* * *

'That bitch…!'

Laharl thought for about the fiftieth time that day. He had been thinking the same two words practically ever since she had chided him this morning. The 'bitch' he was referring to was the green-haired woman who was almost always at her desk; Sairi.

He pondered on her appearance a bit. Sairi had straight lime green hair that flowed down to her hips, with one golden clip holding it in a high ponytail. Her eyes were a darker green than her hair, and were covered by a pair of clear glasses. Her clothes were business like, and her voice was business like as well, though it was usually laced with either calmness or sarcasm.

Yup, just looking at her told him that she was a person of high-authority.

And Laharl hates people of high-authority, other than himself.

'High-authority' people (he often liked to accompany the 'quotation mark' sign with his fingers gesture when he had to say the words 'high-authority') were, to be blunt, a pain in the ass to him. Or, maybe it was the other way around.

Why, he remembered way back in Netherworld Elementary, he had never gotten along with the principal, who was a person of 'high-authority'. He had received at least thirty-five detentions a week, had to perform the most humiliating things possible as punishment, all because of a few little pranks he played on some teachers. OK, so the 'wrapping the principal's entire office with toilet paper so he can't get out' plan was a _bit_ much.

Ah, what else could he say? He was a sadistic prankster, and he was damn proud of it!

Shaking his head and breaking his thoughts about his childhood, he continued his previous mantra about Sairi in his mind as he walked down the hall to his right. Again, it's time to supervise Flonne! Wait, that just made him feel like a stalker...

* * *

Kaori: Sorry it's not that long… There wasn't any angst in this chapter, I know, but just some flecks of humor for you. I promise I'll update soon! Sayonara for now!


	3. Meeting the Seraph

Kaori: Dammit, I'm a freaking slow updater...

Laharl: (rolls eyes) You got that right. Geez, you took damn near forever to update! And if you wanna finish this fic first, then work fucking faster!

Kaori: Alright, alright... Everyone, it really hurts me when I disappoint you, but I suffer from long cases or writer's block .

* * *

Disclaimer- Nippon Ichi Team: (knocks on my door) Congratulations, you officially own Disgaea and all it's characters!

Kaori: (happy beyond words)

(Welcome to my wildest dreams, where practically anything can happen. This proves that I do not own Disgaea.)

* * *

Laharl had his daily argument with Sairi today, and was currently chanting his mantra of 'bitch, bitch, damn that bitch' again. It was an age old routine-- a one thousand years worth routine, to be specific. (A/N: Remember, it was one thousand years since Laharl died.)

How he hated that routine. How he hated Sairi and her 'high authority' (once again he accompanied this statement with the quotation mark gesture) attitude. How he hated this place. With it's marble white walls, floors, and ceilings, partnered with the crystal clear windows made it too... immaculate for his tastes. And since this is Laharl here, we all know that his tastes are hard to please.

Grumbling more of his mantra, the former Overlord trudged to the central core of this 'Soul Tower', a large dome-like room (it always annoyed him that every freaking room in this place looked the same) that had a view of each of the worlds. Naturally, he focused his view on the Overlord's Castle in the Netherworld, but most of the time the true focus was on Flonne. This was part three of his routine.

Part four was merely to watch her for the rest of the day. Not very exciting, but his concern and love for her drove him to stick to the task. Yet, although a part of him was glad to see that she had been quite happy and not as... well, depressed when he first died, another part of him longed for a change, for something different... something out of the ordinary to happen to her for once.

Laharl's grumbling had long ceased by now, and he let out a long sigh as he looked over to the Netherworld's screen. He pushed one of the buttons underneath the screen, causing the camera to move to Flonne's room.

But his eyes met something unexpected...

Flonne wasn't in her room this morning.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" His loud yell echoed through the whole tower.

Hey, Laharl got what he partly wanted... it was something out of the ordinary.

* * *

Flonne stared at the familiar deep green grass, the clear blue skies, and the wonderfully colorful foliage of what she once knew as her home- Celestia, world of the angels.

"I can't remember the last time I was here..." She thought wistfully. This place brought back too many painful memories, the images forever burned in her mind...

In fact, she never planned on coming here again if it weren't for the 'persuasion' of a certain pink haired demoness...

**-Flashback-**

Etna, who was still cheerful as always, (she had taken Flonne's place as the happy, bubbly one after she fell into depression) quickly ran to Flonne's room, rapped on the door, and waited impatiently for the Angel Trainee to open up. After waiting for several more minutes, she kicked the door with exceptional force, but not enough to knock it down.

"Flonne! Get your lazy ass up, dammit!" She yelled, her very short patience span already drained. Her friend's reaction was not what she expected.

There was a loud clatter of footsteps, and Flonne appeared at the doorway, a large smile on her face. "Laharl!" She said joyfully.

Etna frowned. "No, this is Etna. Do I sound like Laharl?" She said, annoyance written all over her face. How could Flonne mistake her and Laharl?

Flonne smiled sheepishly. "I wondered why your voice sounded more… feminine."

Etna rolled her eyes at her friend's naïve nature. But her tone changed as she remembered what she had come here for…

"Hey, Flonne, wanna go to Celestia?" She asked with a smile, without the least bit of tact. Apparently she had completely forgotten that was where Laharl and Lamington had died, and the setting of Flonne's reoccurring nightmares.

The Angel's delicate lips curved into a frown. "Etna… I think we should--" She was cut off by Etna's hand grabbing her own and dragging her out of her room and toward the Dimensional Gatekeeper. Etna wasn't taking no for an answer, it seemed.

"You gotta get out of this old castle, Flonne!" She lightly chided her as they both disappeared in the Dimensional Portal's swirling white vortex.

**-End Flashback-**

Flonne didn't want to damper on her friend's efforts to cheer her up, but honestly, Celestia was NOT the best place for an outing. The other angels, some of which Flonne had once regarded as her friends, were whispering nasty rumors about her said rebellion against the angels. They didn't know how horrible she had felt when fighting against her own kind-if she could have avoided them, she would have. But no, those angels just had to be in the way when all she wanted was to speak with the Seraph. They truly did not understand.

Etna was oblivious to the angels gossiping as she proudly walked around the main city, scanning the area for a shop that held something interesting.

"Oooh! Flonne! Look at this!" Etna called out her upon finding a shop she found suitable. Flonne barely moved an inch, however, because even though the gossiping had subsided, the angels were practically burning holes in her back with their eyes. It felt as if she even moved, they would take out any weapons they carried with them and shoot her down right on the spot.

Suddenly, a kind, gentle voice rang out over the crowd. "Flonne-chan! It's really you!" The voice squealed. The next thing she knew, she was tightly wrapped in a crushing embrace by another angel. Wait a minute… she knew this girl. She knew that voice…

"Sakura-chan?!" Flonne asked in disbelief. The other Angel nodded, a pearly white smile sparkling on her face. Sakura was a childhood friend of hers, and seemed to be the only angel who still accepted that fact. She was extremely cute with her long golden blond hair adorned with a large red ribbon, child-like face, big sapphire eyes; basically she gave off the aura of innocence, as Flonne once did. However, despite her child-like aura, she had a fully developed figure garbed by the usual angel robes.

Flonne was glad that her friend still retained her bubbly and innocent personality--she herself had lost quite a lot of that spirited energy at Lamington's and Laharl's death.

Sakura was still smiling. "Flonne-chan! So much has happened since… since… well, you know…" She knew that it was a delicate subject to approach. "Don't worry--I don't think of you the same way the others do. You're still my friend," She added quickly.

Indeed, Sakura had kept that extremely old promise they had made to each other as children-a promise to remain friends forever. It did seem rather childish now that Flonne thought about it, but this was one of those times she was glad she still had friends.

Sakura continued, "We have a new Seraph, too! I'm the new Archangel, by the way…"

Flonne's good mood was slowly returning. "Really? I'm so happy for you!" The two initiated a sisterly hug. Etna, who was still standing at the window of the shop, made inaudible gagging noises.

"Here, let me introduce him to you!" Sakura pulled Flonne away and through the crowds, leaving Etna behind, unnoticed. The demoness growled and crushed the white flower she had clutched in her hands.

Sakura went through the whole trouble of going through the Seraphic Sanctuary and proudly stating her title to each Angel there. They almost didn't let her pass upon seeing Flonne, but receiving Sakura's threat of using her new powers to send them through the flames of judgment changed their minds.

After a few more minutes of threatening, they had finally made it to the Sacred Altar, which was of course currently occupied by the Seraph.

"Seraph Enkou!" Sakura called. The Seraph, Enkou, turned around and greeted the both of them with a warm smile. He was much younger than Lamington had been, with his short golden hair that seemed to be the trademark of most angels, but his eyes were a sparkling silver. He had a handsome face, and his robes were similar to that of Lamington's. He also had several large, snow white wings that proved his higher rank to the other angels.

Flonne immediately bowed. "Master Enkou…" She whispered quietly but reverently.

Enkou smiled. "Ah, so you are the student of my brother?" He questioned, the sparkle in eyes growing larger.

Flonne looked up in surprise. "Your brother?" She asked in disbelief. Well, that would explain the silver eyes… and that he knew she was specially trained by Lamington himself.

The Seraph nodded. "Yes, indeed. Now, may I ask what you are here for?"

Sakura spoke up. "We're here just to visit you, Seraph Enkou. And do not get any ideas about Flonne-chan being evil!" She quickly defended.

Enkou's face held a look of surprise. "Why would I? I bear no ill will toward her. I know the truth behind what happened that day. Master--I mean, Vulcanus, set the whole thing up with the angels."

Flonne guessed that he used to be of much lower rank before he became a Seraph, which was probably the reason for his little slip up. But putting that aside, Flonne was glad she had another friend besides Sakura here in Celestia.

"Now Flonne… I have heard from my friend in the Soul Tower that you have had many reoccurring dreams. Would you care to tell me about them?" Enkou asked next.

She nodded, knowing that she could trust him, and began her long explanation of her dreams… or rather, nightmares.

* * *

Laharl decided that Flonne was still alright, because even from here he could still sense her aura. That and he looked in the records of the deceased; her name wasn't there yet. He knew that seemed a little paranoid, but better safe than sorry, right?

He thought about looking toward Celestia, since that was probably the only other place she could be, but there was no way in hell that he wanted to look at that place again. Even from the minute he first stepped there, he had a horrible feeling of premonition, and he was right. Now that he was dead, he damn _loathed _the place.

'Guess I'll repeat Part One of my routine-argue with the bitch,' He thought to himself with a slight smirk. Sometimes he actually found himself enjoying this-matching her wit with his. Well, usually he wasn't using his wit against her, he was using his anger, which was the reason she always won.

Walking inside Sairi's ethereal dome shaped office (he cursed the creator of this tower for making every room the same, and thought he had a lack of originality) he leaned casually on the doorpost, waiting to catch her attention. He did, but she didn't dare to look up from her papers.

"What do you want now, King Laharl?" She asked coldly as the familiar pen scratching against paper continued.

"I wanna--" Before he could finish, Sairi interrupted.

"Let me guess… you want to know when you can get out of here to see Flonne, right?" She asked, bringing up the subject of most of their arguments. Sometimes they argued about different things, but Flonne and Laharl's release were the main subject.

She didn't let Laharl respond to this as she continued. "Well, I have good news and bad news about that. The good news that you can contact her."

Laharl's idea for the argument (he had planned to argue about the dome shaped rooms and why the hell at least one of them couldn't be a square) faded away and was replaced with utmost hope. "Really?! How?"

"That's the good news. The bad news is you can only contact her through her dreams." She finished.

Laharl groaned, but quickly brightened. "Better than nothing! Thanks, you lousy bitch!" He said happily before running out the door, heading for the core of the tower. Apparently Laharl already knew how to do this.

Sairi frowned as he left. "I find a way for him to communicate with her, and this is the thanks I get?!" She asked incredulously.

* * *

Far off into a cold, dark, void-like castle, a smirk lighted a monster's stone face. "Yes, come back, Overlord… It's you I want. Come back to life so you can watch your loved one's die by my hand. I want to see terror… I want to see the terror on your face!" A horrible, evil laughter rang out through the castle. What he didn't know was a red-haired demon girl was secretly spying on him.

"I'll get revenge against you for taking over _my _kingdom," She growled lowly before disappearing.

* * *

It had been several hours since Flonne had finished relaying her dreams. Enkou merely told her that there was hope behind her suffering, and now the three angels were casually talking.

"I should get back now, Etna is probably worried…" Flonne said suddenly. Sakura nodded.

"Alright, I'll take you back," She offered. Flonne agreed and left the Altar with the Archangel after giving Enkou her regards.

When the two were out of hearing range, the Seraph mumbled "This is much more than it seems, Flonne. So much more…"

* * *

Kaori: Looks like it's finally developing a plot! Well, what else can I say but… I'm sorry for being so damn slow and please review!


	4. Dreams

* * *

Kaori: I'm posting a new chapter quickly before the inspiration dies out…

* * *

**Disclaimer**- If I owned Disgaea, I would definitely make Laharl and Flonne marry at the end of the game, and mass market several kinds of merchandise of them… there's too damn much of Etna… --;

But you don't see any of that, do you?

* * *

Laharl was experiencing an emotion he hadn't felt for one thousand years-happiness. He was extremely happy, and even though it was over a small thing like being able to speak with Flonne again, still, it felt great to him.

He had been running at the speed of lighting to the Soul Tower's core--Ok, so that was stretching it a little, but he had ran faster than ever thought possible and seemed like a blur to the other souls there.

The circular purple pad (Laharl had confirmed that the circle was his least favorite shape) that he never bothered to notice before was now glowing a bright green and yellow light, as if awaiting his step. Before granting the pad's wish, he walked over to one of the room's many screens, more specially the one for the Netherworld. Pushing some random buttons, he walked back to the pad. He had no idea how he knew this--it just clicked in his mind. He assumed it was from watching too much of Yu Yu Hakusho, a pastime of his when he was still alive.

The felt the strange sensation of himself fading from this world to Flonne's plagued mind.

* * *

Flonne's mind had once again been plagued with nightmares. For the past few days, they had left her undisturbed, but now they were coming as strong as ever, with more graphic, bloody torture scenes haunting her mind. She had thought that meeting an old friend again and making a new one would lessen the nightmare's reoccurrence, but no, instead that seemed to increase the detail.

Good things never last forever, and she had learned that the hard way.

As cold sweat continued to trickle down the Angel Trainee's pale, delicate face, her dream was slowly changing shape, now turning to that bright, cheery field where she had the first of this saga of nightmares.

**-Flonne's POV-**

No… not this place again. I groaned at the sight--bright, beautiful flowers, deep, healthy grass, and large, shady trees offering protection from the blinding light of the sun.

Normally, I would enjoy the surroundings and frolic amongst these gifts of nature… but now, no. Everything had changed my relation to this place.

I felt as if I had grown up too quickly. I was still young in Angel years when Laharl and Master Lamington had died, but their death was like a cold slap to my face, bringing me to reality and teaching me the true, hard facts of life.

But some of that naivety remained.

Master Lamington, the fact being that he was an Angel, made it impossible for him to return, and be reincarnated or at least spend time with me as Prinny, as Laharl once had.

Since Laharl was half-human, it was possible for him to atone as a Prinny first, then reincarnate into another form.

One thousand years has passed since his death, transformation into a Prinny, and his leaving me again.

Yet still I wait for him, because I love him. I love that hanyou with all my heart. And I will wait for him… No matter how long it takes.

But enough reminiscing, back to the present.

I was here once again in this dreaded field as you already know, and worst of all, that figure whose face was blocked out by the sun's rays and that billowing cape was here again.

I'd like to believe that's Laharl.

I'd like to believe that was the real him, that he had finally come back to me.

I'd like to hug him, kiss him, anything to show my love, as I had foolishly done the first few times through these nightmares.

No, that wasn't the real him. He was a figment of my desires, created into a dream, but my dreams often quickly faded into nightmares.

But I couldn't help myself.

I took a few tentative steps toward him. As always, he turned around and said my name softly "Flonne."

I liked the way he said it-like I was some almighty goddess to him. Of course I wouldn't want Laharl tending over my every whim like a slave; his fiery passion is one of the things I love about him.

And following the usual path of my dreams, I ran. I ran as quickly as I could to him, my heart skipping several beats; it was practically pounding out of my chest.

Again, I embraced him, letting the tears flow out. I tried not to cry as much since that time Etna confronted me again--in fact, I hadn't cried since. But now, as it always seemed to be in my dreams, I sobbed all over him.

But I noticed… he looked different, much more mature. He had a well toned chest, muscled arms and legs, and it made me blush that I was seeing the whole of it (Laharl still wasn't wearing a shirt, and he was still wearing shorts). His hair had gotten slightly longer, yet still retained the blue hue, especially the long tendrils at the top which now trailed down to his knees. He still kept that cape/scarf, and that hadn't changed at all. His shoes hadn't changed either, they just got bigger. Might I add that Laharl had gone through a serious growth spurt and was several feet taller than me?

Laharl smiled, one of his true, genuine smiles, at me. It surprised me that even though he claimed that he had never brushed his teeth in his entire life, he had a white, toothy smile.

"Flonne…" He said my name reverently once more before his tone snapped into that of seriousness. "Listen, Flonne. This isn't just a dream,"

I blinked. It didn't feel like I was conscious, heck, I'm not even my room, so it had to be a dream.

Laharl noticed the disbelieving look on my face and continued. "Look, I'm in this freaky Soul Tower place where my soul has to stay until that bitch clears everything up and gets me reincarnated."

I blinked again. What in the world…?

"But didn't you already atone for them?" I questioned.

Laharl groaned. "That's what I tell them, but apparently they let me off easy. I have to make up for that by **waiting**…" He explained with a grimace at the word 'waiting'.

It was very obvious that Laharl could go up for the least most patient person in the world award, and would probably have a good chance of winning.

"Anyway," He continued again "I'm basically here to say--don't give up on me yet, Flonne."

How could he think that?! I asked myself incredulously. If I waited all this time, does he really think I'd turn back now?!

"Of course Laharl. I will wait for you… Until the end of time…"

Laharl smiled again. "That's good to hear." But as he gazed at me for a few more seconds, he snapped out of it and cussed.

"Shit, why now?! Just a little bit longer!" He begged to the sky.

For a third time I blinked. If I wasn't so happy/surprised, I would have burst out laughing at how comical he looked.

Minutes passed as he stared at the sky in silent plea. Apparently he didn't get what he wanted as he cussed again. "Fuck you assholes!" He yelled.

His manner changed when he looked at me again, his scowl melting into a smile once more. "I'll see you around, Flonne. Don't ever forget me!" He called before disappearing. The dream faded and I was jolted back to consciousness.

**-Normal POV-**

Flonne awoke from her rather pleasant dream and stared out at the now inky black sky and the hanging silver moon outside her window.

A smile flickered on her lips. "I will wait for you… Until the end of time…" She repeated her promise to the blue-haired hanyou before plunging back to the feathery softness of her pillow.

Her mind was granted with a warm calm as her dreams currently consisted of pleasant memories of her past.

Her past with her naïve innocence that she so longed to keep.

Her past with her old Angel friends.

Her past with her new demon friends here in the Netherworld.

Her past with her beloved father-like figure, Lamington.

And her past with him… Laharl.

The said hanyou placed his trademark smirk at the peaceful smile on her face.

"I'll get rid of those dreams for now... You think I like seeing myself die in your mind?" He asked as his soul floated back to the tower.

* * *

Priere, the former Alternate Netherworld Overlord, the red-haired hanyou watching the literal stone-faced monster earlier, paced around the gray stone cell she was now locked in.

One of **'his'** lackeys had caught her trying to escape, and since **'he'** had taken over what was once her castle, she was officially **'his'** slave, and a slave escaping from their master's clutches was forbidden.

After beating her with his bare hands and treating the open wounds with salt, she was sent here to this cell.

And dammit, did she freaking hurt from that rough treatment!

Her whole body ached, and the salt rubbed into the cuts made it hurt even more.

What's worse was that this cell's bars were near impossible to break-she blew off almost all her magic and near broke her knuckles and leg when she tried using force to get out.

Throwing what little magic she had left in this last spell, she used it to heal herself, and luckily she had enough for an Omega Heal.

The cuts sealed, the bruises faded away, and the salt seemed to have disintegrated along with them.

She smiled, pleased with her refreshed energy.

But then she groaned.

How would she get out of this cell?!

"Damn you to hell Baal!" Priere yelled at the top of her lungs. Then, at the corner of her eye, she noticed one of Baal's lackeys sitting on a stool nearby, probably there to serve as a guard.

And he was twirling a key on his finger.

Priere felt her luck changing as she crawled over to the bars, closer to where the guard was. Time to put on the old charm…

* * *

Kaori: My chapters vary in length as I type them… Anyway, two chapters for you all, with a plotline developing. Please review!


	5. New Allies

Kaori: I have a defense! My internet wasn't working, so I had to get a new screen name... My new e-mail is Just look at my profile. And yes, I am a big fan of Kurama. So on with the fic!

Matthew: The court is adjourned... (slams a hammer hard on the drum, breaking it)

Guy: NOOOOOOOOO!!! WHYYYYYY?!?!

* * *

Laharl groaned. The happiness of yesterday--visiting Flonne in her dreams and finally letting her sleep in peace for once--had already evaporated. And now, he was leaning against one of the huge windowpanes of the Soul Tower, idly staring out into this world's rendition of a sky.

"Ah, Laharl. I thought I'd find you here."

Laharl groaned again and turned to face a scarlet haired kitsune, who had verbally harrassed him with his view of 'advice' for the past five hours. It seemed he had come back to nag him some more...

"Oh, you _again_...Are you sure you aren't a relative of that bitch? Nag, nag, nag, that's all you two do..." Laharl asked him insolently.

The kitsune blinked his emerald eyes innocently. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Laharl. How could you accuse me of such a thing?"

"Don't play dumb, kitsune." Laharl said, scoffing. "Anyway... what the hell do you want now?!"

"I haven't come here to 'nag', as you call it," He made the quotation-mark gesture with his fingers in a maddeningly similiar fashion as Laharl had done "I have come here to relay some news."

"It had better be good, kitsune," Laharl replied, staring at the fingernails on his left hand.

"Good and bad," he said, smiling serenely. "The good news is that you get to come back to life soon."

At this, Laharl sprung from his slack pose, grabbed the kitsune by his shoulders and shook him roughly while yelling hysterically "How soon is soon?! Today? Tommorrow? The day after tommorrow's tommorrow? The day after tommorrow's tommorrow's tommorrow?! I can't wait that long!!"

He blinked and patted Laharl's shoulder awkwardly. "Err... Laharl... calm down..."

"TELL ME! WHEN THE HELL AM I GOING BACK TO MY DAMN BODY?!?" Laharl shouted in his ear, several items in the room flying off their shelves at his volume.

"I believe you have made me temporalily deaf." The kitsune replied calmly.

Laharl shoved him away and leaned casually unto his previous position. "When am I going back to my body?" He asked slowly, using a voice of forced calm.

"Three weeks from now. But I'm sure that a few weeks is nothing compared to the thousand years you've--and Flonne--have been waiting?"

Laharl opened his mouth widely as if to denounce that statement, but quickly shut it. "I can't belive I'm saying this, but you're right. Any way I can tell Flonne about this?"

"No. You've already talked to her once in her dreams--talk to her again and you'll have to stay here longer." At the look on Laharl's face, he quickly added in a happier tone, "Might I add that Flonne has been far more cheerful than usual lately? She seems to be regaining sight of herself after your visit..."

The corners of Laharl's mouth moved up slightly; apparently, only Flonne had the honor of seeing a genuine smile from him.

"By the way... why am I being set free early? Why are you giving me special treatment?" Laharl asked curiously.

The kitsune rolled his eyes. "Because you're the most special little baby we've had here," he replied sarcastically. Laharl glared, but he seemed unruffled. "But if you want the truth..." He continued seriously, "It's because Baal is finally starting to be active again."

Laharl's eyes widened. "No... that's a lie! Baal's just a legend!"

The kitsune's eyes narrowed. "Don't fool yourself, Laharl. You know he's real; and now he's trying to conquer all the worlds. Or rather, kill every single person on the worlds just to see the terror on their faces. That's how he is.

"_You're _the only one who can stop him, Laharl. **You. **Not Priere, not Etna, not Enkou; **_you._** That's why you have to be revived early; we need you there."

Laharl smirked. "No one can compare to my power, huh?"

The kitsune rolled his eyes. "Don't get full of yourself," And after throwing a fallen book at a now enraged Laharl, he left the room.

* * *

Priere grinned. Oh yeah, the old charm of hers worked like a... well, charm. She had successfully escaped Baal's castle and was now flying through the skies flapping her large red wings. Where she was headed? The Overlord's Castle or Celestia--whichever the hell was closer. She had to warn either one of them before Baal got to them; that way, they could team up against the Lord of Terror.

Yet she couldn't help but wonder... why had Baal spared her? If he was so ruthless, why did he let her live, instead of killing her right on the spot? And if he wanted to see her writhe and die in pain, then why did he lock her up in a cell? Were they walking into some sort of trap...?

"No!" Priere told herself, shaking her head vigorously. "What am I thinking?! This is no time for hesitation!" And off she flew, to the nearest area with help she could find... and that area happened to be Beauty Castle.

She landed at the castle's gaudy gate and pushed open the gargantuan doors. If she thought the outside was flashy, the inside was, if anything, even worse. Everything was decorated with jewels from head to toe, chandeliers covered the ceiling; practically every part of the castle was constructed of some rare jewel or metal.

"So this is why the call it Beauty Castle? Bit too flashy, though..." Prier murmured, frowning slightly.

"Flashy? _Flashy, _you say? Everything beautiful in life _has_ to be flashy! When you're beautiful, let people know by showing it off!" A womanly voice called out, her voice reverberating through the castle.

Priere raised an eyebrow. "'Show it all off'? You mean, 'act like a slut'!? Listen, most people think it's an insult to their dignity to act like that!" She cried indignantly.

The womanly voice gasped. "That's such a nasty way of putting it!" She yelled back.

"Just show yourself, coward!" Priere replied, not in the mood to argue. What she needed now was _help_, not a headache...

She gasped again. "Coward? Me, a coward? The most malevolent witch in the galaxy, _a_ _coward_?! How dare you!" In a flash of light and storm of purple tinted smoke, a blond haired woman in an extremely skimpy outfit was glaring at Priere with her arms folded over her chest. "I will make you pay! We'll fight, now!"

Priere shrugged. "Fine, you slut..."

This infuriated the woman even more, and she hurled a fire spell at Priere. "SHUT UP! SHUT UP!!" She yelled, blasting the Alternate Netherworld Overlord with a barrage of spells. Priere dodged all of them, then hurled herself at the witch and trapped her in a headlock.

"Listen. The reason I came here was for some help. And if you don't help me," She took out her baton and held it threateningly above her head, "I WILL shove this down your throat."

The witch seemed intrigued. "Hmm... I'll help, but...tell me, what exactly are we up against? And what do I get for my...services?"

* * *

Kaori: OK, so it's pretty short, and gomen that Flonne didn't appear in the chapter, but it's better than nothing, right? Three guesses who the witch and who the kitsune are; it's damn easy!


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